


Perfect Fourth

by kleineelch



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post GPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 11:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9121426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kleineelch/pseuds/kleineelch
Summary: A character study of Otabek Altin immediately following the GPF with special guest Yuri Plisetsky





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about Otabek and this story is just the tip of the iceberg. A little hint of otayuri if you squint, but can be read as totally platonic as well.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Otabek sighed as he zipped his skate bag shut, fingers lingering on the pull tab before he let it drop. He was glad that no one seemed to be paying him any attention in the locker room, though he supposed it wasn’t surprising. The few skaters he was with also missed a podium finish and, aside from questions from their respective regions representatives, they were allowed to slip away. Reporters were far more interested in the winners shattering world records or rising from the ashes of defeat.

 

Fourth place was not worth the time of day.

 

Knowing no one would bother him, Otabek leaned forward and massaged his temple with his fingers. A sigh escaped him as he felt his adrenaline finally beginning to taper off. Even in his head there wasn’t much for him to say. He did his best, and that made him proud. Did he wish he could have made it on the podium? Of course, but Otabek reasoned there was only so long one could ride on a dark horse without being thrown off. All things considered, he was still one of the best skaters in the world and a hero to those he had left at home. It was just another bruise to cary that he failed to make it on the podium. Time would heal this as well.

 

Not willing to chance running into more reporters or talk with anyone else, Otabek stood and made his way as quiet as he could to the door. He made eye contact with Phichit as he moved passed his locker, but there was only a weary smile from his fellow competitor. Meeting his coach in the hall, Otabek was glad that he was as taciturn as himself. All he said was “Well done, we’ll beat them next time” and that was that. Together they made their way from the stadium and back to the hotel.

 

Before he even registered the change in scenery, Otabek was in his hotel room, bag sliding from his shoulder. It took a moment of blinking in the dim light of his room to start him into his usual post competition ritual. Lights flicked on along with the radio to something non-offensive. Anything but classical music was his only stipulation. The one time he chanced to hear the piece he skated to earlier (and failed horribly on) was once enough. Some pop song came up and Otabek felt a smile form. Perfect.

 

Next followed clearing his bag out. Sorting, hanging, packing. The mindless ritual was almost meditative, keeping negative thoughts over what had happened out of his mind. Otabek frowned when he realized the stuffed bear he carried for good luck was not in his bag like he suspected. His coach must have grabbed it, hopefully. To anyone who was not a skater it seemed silly to carry around a stuffed animal, but having an outside focus while in competition, before, during, and after was immensely helpful, Otabek had found.

 

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Otabek found his way to the small refrigerator that came with the room. Opening it up, he pulled out a beer he had bought the day prior and popped the tab open. He thinks it was JJ at some competition who mentioned enjoying a drink after a performance to take the edge off defeat, or celebrate a victory. Otabek gave a small toast to the room in thanks to JJ, even if he was the one to beat him onto the podium. After a few sips, he made his way to the bathroom, turning the spigot on to a temperature his rinkmates called “lava” and put the stopper in for a bath.

 

As he was making to pull off his shirt, a knock came at the door. Thinking it was his coach, Otabek grabbed his beer and made his way to the main room. When he opened the door, it was with some level of surprise to find Yuri standing there. The harsh scowl he wore clashed with the delicate braids his hair was still in, though it soon disappeared when he noticed Otabek had opened the door for him.

 

Before Yuri could say anything, Otabek held up a finger. “I need to stop the water in the bathroom. Please come in.”

 

He figured Yuri would follow directions, so he turned and did as he said he would. There was no reason for Yuri to stay for very long, so the temperature should still be to his liking by the time Yuri left. When he returned to the room, Otabek found Yuri sitting on the edge of his bed, a familiar bear in his hands.  

 

“You left this. In the kiss and cry.” He made no motion to hand it back, instead tracing a finger over the embroidered designs on its vest.

 

“Thank you for grabbing it.” Otabek was a little confused as to why Yuri still held on to it.

 

There was a moment where they just stayed in silence before Yuri buried his face into the bear. “You deserved more.”

 

“Pardon?” Otabek asked, not sure if he heard correctly.

 

“Your skate, it was better than JJ’s.” Yuri pulled away from the bear, eyes sparkling as he stared Otabek down. “The judges obviously went blind during your skate. Or JJ is screwing someone on that panel.”

 

Otabek gave a small laugh. “No, he was just better than me. That is all.”

 

“Why aren’t you angry?” Yuri asked, face screwed up in confusion. Otabek looked at his friend and shrugged.

 

“I’ve been in the division longer than you have Yuri. It does no one good to get upset over things outside their control.” Otabek said before taking another sip of his beer. “Besides, you’re doing a good enough job being upset for the both of us.”

 

He pretended not to notice the flare of red that formed on Yuri’s cheeks. He buried his face into the bear’s head again. “I wanted to share the podium with you.” Yuri murmured almost too quiet for Otabek to hear.

 

Something twinged inside him as he sat on the bed next to Yuri. It was true that in his earlier thoughts he had made it a point to not think about Yuri, the Russian prodigy he had picked up as a friend. He was in a league of his own,and there was no way for Otabek to compete with him at this time. Everything Yuri did showed he deserved the gold, and watching him break down on the ice following the skate made Otabek wish he could skate out and help his friend out. Maybe subconsciously he had left his bear for Yuri as a comfort when he heard his winning score. Friendship was a strange new thing to them.

 

“I don’t plan on going anywhere.” Otabek kept his voice low and soft. He paused. “There will be more chances for me to beat you in the upcoming years.”

 

A snort burst from Yuri as he turned to look at Otabek. “You really think you can beat me? The Russian Tiger?” The bear was shoved at him, but the smirk on Yuri’s face showed he wasn’t upset at the challenge. Far from it. “I’d like to see you try.”

 

Otabek took the bear back with a smile, feeling a surge of confidence and competitiveness that had been muted since he stepped off the ice earlier. He reached over and ruffled at Yuri’s hair, earning a squawk from the other skater. “Watch me.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated, here or on my [tumblr!](musicaljinx.tumblr.com) Looking forward to writing for these two skaters soon! Cheers!


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